I saw a C30 today, in black, my first parked on the road away form the Volvo dealerships.
I've seen a few of the newer Protons around here (Eastbourne), the Gen-2 and the Savvy. I guess they appeal to the older generation of which there is plenty here, who want a new car but haven't got much money to spend.
IMHO, where as the 'budget' manufacturers such as Kia and Hyundai have moved away, or are trying very hard to move away from the budget image and become more European, Proton seem to want to stay as a budget manufacturer, building cars that look and feel a little cheap.
The Satria Neo is advertised on the Proton website as '.....the ultimate hot hatchback. From the distinctive design and unique extras to the numerous safety features, it's way ahead of its class......'
From the look of it I'm not so sure.
Under the Main Features on their website, the 2nd item they list is Prominent wheel arches and centre exhaust. I think their C02 emissions or NCAP rating is more important to tell potential customers than the fact that the car comes with flared arches.
Chris
|
I noticed on the Volvo website they are offering 0% finance over 2 years with a 50% deposit so sales must be poor.
I guess the problem is price. Fot £16k do you buy a 1.6 C30 with a few toys or a Focus ST ?
|
|
|
I've seen a few of the newer Protons around here (Eastbourne) the Gen-2 and the Savvy.
I saw my first ever Savvy the other day in Inverness. I must confess that I had never even heard of them before.
|
I saw a black C30 in North Berwick 3 weeks ago. It might have been the same one Chris White saw in Eastbourne.
What is a Proton Savvy? (It's ok no need to reply, I'll google that question)
|
|
|
|
|
Was wondering what their reputation was like ? Probably the most budget brand on the market , yet they offer a six year warranty. Just liked the styling to be honest , looks a lot better in real life than from the photos I've seen. Handling tweaked by Lotus too! I think it appealled to the ageing boy racer in me.
|
|
The only C30s I've seen have been within spitting distance of the local Volvo dealership. A neighbour has a Savvy - it looks cheap to me - yellow backed dials do not make a car more appealing!!
|
|
I saw a C30 on demo in Basingstoke shopping centre back in March, didn't see one on the road until last week, now seen another one. I quite liked the look of it, the rear end reminded me of the old P1800ES a bit.
|
|
Seen a couple of poverty spec ones... thats it really
|
|
I saw a C30 on the M90 a few weeks ago, only one never seen another.
|
Reread HJ's assesment:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/road_tests/index.htm?id=251
Volvo, at launch, were predicting 5000 per annum and it got a pretty good review.
The only thing I can think which is putting people off is the four seats or, possibly the prospect of main dealer servicing costs vs. something like a Ford, SEAT or Skoda.
|
SWMBO is the proud owner of a 2.4 litre D5 C30 Geartronic auto. - Has had it since March and says it is much nicer than the previous BMW 320d!
|
It's funny, I saw one driving dwn the A3 last night and said to mysef "You don't see many of those cars."
Whereas I have seen at least 4 new Smart 4-2s and a couple of Pug 308s and a new Fiat Bravo.
I also saw a new Honda Legend the other morning for the first time and said to myself "Gosh, that's the first new Legend I've seen, and they have been out quite a while now - I've seen more C6s than that - so the Japs can't do big cars either!"
|
I also saw a new Honda Legend the other morning for the first time and said to myself "Gosh, that's the first new Legend I've seen, and they have been out quite a while now - I've seen more C6s than that - so the Japs can't do big cars either!"
Lexus??????
|
|
The only C30s I've seen have been within spitting distance of the local Volvo dealership.
I think I've seen two of them but one had main dealer stickers all over it..
|
|
Nicer looking car than a 1-Series or A3 (the obvious competitors)
|
|
Not a competitor if you need 5 doors.
|
|
Is it practical? How can a car with such big fat hips and a butt to match have such a tiny hatchback door?
|
Not very practical, Mike. I've only clambered over a couple of C30s in a showroom, but my observation is that while the 'look-through' boot and rear window probably make it nice to drive in traffic and very easy to park, the flip side is that there's no secure luggage space. Since most potential buyers are likely to be in the laptop-carrying classes, the idea of having to take everything with them when they stop at Woolley Edge services for a pee may be enough to put them off. (And yes, I know they tell you not to leave anything in the car, but...)
And if that's how they're thinking, they probably mention it to their Volvo dealer and drive away in what may be the C30's main competitor - an S40.
|
|
Does the C30 exist? Yes, I saw it the other day.
|
|
Yep, funnily enough I saw one in the wild on my way home yesterday. It was in that pearly off-white colour - although without the brown fringes that I doubt many will be brave enough to specify - and looked rather striking. What it didn't look, though, was small - this may be a truncated S40 but it's still a hefty lump of car.
|
|
Agreed, and I've said this before. To look right it would have to be about two-thirds the size it is.
|
|
|
|
|
